On Beauty: Drew Barrymore

As if a stellar acting career weren't enough, Drew Barrymore has since turned her hand to beauty, with her make-up brand Flower Beauty launching in the UK at the end of 2018. Here, she sits down with Vogue's Lisa Niven-Phillips to talk make-up, motherhood and managing a business.

On the transformative power of make-up

I was in a make-up trailer when I was a kid and I would see these women walk in with hunched-up shoulders and all furled over and it’d be four in the morning their eyes would be squinting… But after some hot rollers and some make-up and blush they would walk out of there with a completely different demeanour and I’d see how the power of beauty was so transformative to a woman’s confidence and body language. It left a really big impression on me. And all through the ‘90s I worked with all these amazing make-up artists - Pat McGrath, Kevyn Aucoin, Dick Page, Gucci Westman, Charlotte Tilbury… All these people who were these amazing artists and I fell in love with all of the things they were teaching me and showing me. I don’t think I knew then I’d be applying it someday, but it was definitely influential.

On launching Flower Beauty

It's been seven years. I had just finished my contract with Covergirl as co-creative director and I love beauty and the stars just aligned. I wanted to stop acting for a while to have my kids and I loved going to the labs and formulations - it’s a lot like producing and making films, where you’re a part of everything. I like wearing both hats and it just felt right. Timing is everything. I wanted to bring Flower to the UK from the start but we were just a small company. But now just felt like the right time and Superdrug felt like the right partner. And slow and steady wins the race! Now that we’re gaining ground in America after seven years we’ve learned so much and we felt confident.

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On everyday make-up

I mix the Flower Beauty Supernova Celestial Skin Elixir with the Light Illusion Foundation. It’s just the most hydrating, glossy, non-glittery formula, and when you mix it with a foundation it just gives this dew and glow. I never was really crazy about foundation but I’m so in love with the Light Illusion formula as it’s so lightweight. I also use concealer and then highlighter. The Flower Beauty Shimmer And Strobe Highlighting Palette is so beautiful and translucent and I really like having all three tones in one. I know contouring is an art unto itself but I’m a highlighter junkie, for sure. If they put it in the corner of your eyes or your brow bone or your cupid’s bow, you’re like, why doesn’t it look like this when I do my own make-up? Learning form professionals over the years has taught me a lot and made me more confident.

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On skincare

I make a mask with this South Korean company called Jayjun which unfortunately you can’t get anywhere but there. I wish you could because I’m obsessed with them! I use that once or twice a week - it’s a three-step mask with a cleanser, a mask and a moisturiser or a serum, a mask and an eye cream. I’m all about hydration. I fly almost every week and then with the weather change I get dried out.

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On travel beauty tips

A mini Evian mister is so good. I’m not one of those fliers who stretches and drinks eight ounces of water every hour. I’m like, give me the Bloody Mary and the sheet mask! It’s free. I paid a thousand dollars for this ticket but I will take this crappy wine of yours and all the peanuts and crackers.

On beauty treatments

I definitely stalk some facialists for like skincare regimes, like Georgia Louise and Shani Darden, but I probably get a facial once a year, it’s so sad. That’s why I’m so obsessed with masks, because you can just do them at home and if you find the right one they can be so effective. Once in a while I try to get a massage but it’s usually with the physical therapist because I’ve injured myself working out, rather than a pampering session. So I’m not very good at taking time and taking care of myself. If I get to a workout class or a yoga class I’m so thrilled.

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On fitness

The way I look afterwards, my skin is dewy pink and plump, it’s so amazing. I’m always like, “yes, this is what I’m supposed to be doing every day”, and then three weeks go by and I’m like, “gotta get to a workout class again”. I do a bunch of different stuff. Cardio, yoga, you have to trick the muscles into doing different things. I don’t have a muscle in my body, but when I do develop them I try to trick them! I’m just super inconsistent. I do wine and pizza for two weeks and then am really good for two weeks, then bad for three weeks and good for two. That’s kind of how I live my life. Like if you’re ending your work day and plan to work out afterwards and then everyone’s like,” let’s go for drinks” you’re like, “oh fuck it. Ok, let’s go for drinks.”

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On social media

I know I wouldn’t be on social media if I didn’t have businesses but I also feel I have zero interest in people’s social media that’s all about business. So you have to make it personal. It has to be a curation of your heart and your life and I don’t think you can really expect people to be invested otherwise. Although there’s a definite line in the sand and you know when you’ve crossed it and overshared. Having the businesses I have right now, I appreciate social media. When you make a lot of things you want to share them! And as far as the beauty industry goes, there weren’t influencers when we started this brand. It’s literally a different world. I follow all of the beauty brands and for me it’s being immersed in that world, it’s a part of my homework and being inspired and learning. So I guess I’m really invested in the things I do, I hate phoning things in.

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On friendship

My girlfriends are my first family and it’s great to see my daughters really embrace it in the way that they’re so close with their friends and everyone’s an aunty and I just love it. I love that they see me loving women so much and that support and that necessity to have these women in your life who teach you and lead you and guide you and are your friends and are there for you. Just that whole circle of friendship is important and it’s important that they see it too. Every break-up, every shitty thing that happens, everything you want to celebrate - it’s your girlfriends you go to.